Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-09-29
THE PENSION Laws.
Changes Suggested by General Black,
Commissioners of Pensions.

| WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.-Gen. John
G. Black, Commissioner of Pensions,
in his annual report to the Secretary oi
the Interior, makes the following i'm.
portant suggestions:
l. The allowance of So per month to
minor children entitled to pension is
inadequate for their support, and
should be increased to SIS per month.
2. That the act of June 16, 1880, be SO
amended as to permit the benefits of
the act to be extended to those who,
subsequent to the date of its approval,
from aggravation oftheir malady many
may have become helpless.
8. That the existing laws that a wild
owls pension certificate can only bear
date from the day on which she files
her application should be amended to
allow the commencement of the PEN
sion to date from the death of her hus-
band, the other conditions required by
the law being present.
4. That section 4718 of the Revised
Statutes be so amended as to prohibit
the payment of more than one pension
i to the same person.
5. That the law requiring a pension
to be graded according to the rank of
the claimant at the time the injury was
received should be amended so that the
rank subsequently acquired bona fide
may be considered by the Commissioner
in determining the amount of pension
to be allowed.
6. That the present rate for deafness
should be increased by law to $50 per
month for total deafness, with inter-
mediate grades to be determined ac-
cording to the degree of disability.
7. That discretion should be lodged
in the Commissioner in correcting dis
crepancies in rates of pension for loss of
limbs, or Congress should be asked to es-
tablish table of rates for loss of limbs.
8. That the law be amended so that
the Commissioner shall be authorized
to pay the pension to the wife of pen
siOner, or to asnitable person on behalf
of his children. when the habits Of the
pensiOner show him to be an unfit per-
son to receive or disburse the pension.
8. That an appropriation of Sis, 900 be
made to defray the expenses of addi-
tional necessary pension agencies.
10. That an additional clerical force
be allowed to enable the Commissioner.
without making extra demands upon
the clerke now in service, to complete
and satisfy the Mexican pension claims,
of which eight thousand have been al
lowed since the passage of the act.
The report shows that there were at
the close of the year 406, ,007 pensioners.
There were added to the rolls during
the year the names Of So, ,194 new pen
sioners, and the name of 2,7O7 whose
pension had been previous dropped
were restored to the roll. During the
same period the names of 1877 pen
sioners were dropped from the rolls.
I The aggregate annual value Of all
pensions is $62, ,824,841, an increase OF
like value for the year of $S, ,116, ,633.
The amount paid for pensions during
the year was $73, ,485 ,58l, an increase in
amount over the previous year of SO,
$3.50, ,750. The amount paid to Al, ,Ol9 new
pensioners during the year upon first
payment was $25, l66, 800.
During the year So, 194 original certi-
ficates were issued, a greater number
than was ever before issued by the
Bureau in any one year. The estimates
for the fiscal year, ending June 80, 1888,
aggregate SIS, ,045, ,230.
The appropriation for the last fiscal
year was $78, ,791 ,250.